Good conversation guys! For the six years I lived in Alaska, I carried a 338 WM on nearly every hunt for everything. The 338 WM is stout enough to handle a bear situation and flat shooting enough to reach across a canyon. My Alaska load was a 225 grain TTSX that worked well on everything from Kodiak Brown Bear to Mountain Goat, Caribou, and Moose. This podcast has me thinking maybe I should bust the old girl out of the safe this weekend.
I killed a nice elk at 400 yards this year with my 338 WM, using that 225 TTSX in WY. Wow, I was impressed. DRT. I recovered the bullet and it was a perfect mushroom with 99.56 % weight retention. I am sold with that bullet in this cartridge.
I absolutely LOVE the 338 win mag. It's my do all cartridge. Elk are down and dead at 500 yards and never had to chase a wounded animal,. Pairing it with a Berger, it's got great long range ballistics and 250+ gr bullets are freight trains. If you want to hunt smaller game, can use a 180 or 165g. It is so versatile. I also think it's felt recoil is less than a 300 win mag (own as well) -- more a push, that a slam. But, a lot of rifle manufacturers seem to be dropping it from their line up which is sad. And, factory ammo availability isn't great and is expensive. Maybe when we get through COVID that will change.
Guys this is American just because you are not gonna hunt with it doesn’t mean you can’t own a .338 win mag 😂 I don’t need nor hunt with 80% of my guns but I have them because 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
That’s all of us in the former slug states. Indiana allows high powered rifles on private land but most of the state, you don’t need much more than .30-30, .35 Remington, .45-70, .444, .300Blk or 7.62x39. Parts of the state you can use a high powered rifle, shots are too close. Parts of the state where you can, it’s too flat
As a fan of the 7mm Rem Mag, I always respected the .338 Win as the parent case to my favorite big game cartridge, and also as the minimum step up from the 7mm Rem Mag that makes sense for me. I always figured the .300 Magnums were over rated, and if I was to go any bigger than 7mm, the .338 was the next logical choice. The .300s mostly just add recoil. At least with the .338, you're getting an appreciable step up in mass and frontal area to make the added recoil worth it.
Same mindset here. I’ve hunted Alaska with the 7mm Rem for three years now and now that Weatherby came out with their .338 RPM I jumped to that because I like the idea of it.
In Eastern Canada no grizzly bears to worry about. My fav is the 7 REM MAG deer are always dead with a 162 gr projectile and I love it Ryan hates that cartridge. I also shoot various factory loads in 30-06, 300 WIN MAG. The muzzleloader also makes them just as dead. Enjoy the podcasts , great job guys.
I have long drive to work and I play these videos and listen on my drive in, I really enjoy these cartridge talks and I learn so much. I appreciate these so much.
My dad bought his 338 win mag M70 WIN in 1958 after losing his biggest mule deer on an Idaho hunt that same year that he shot with a 3006. I now have his 338 win in my safe and it is a favorite. I now shoot it's big brother the 338 RUM and have since 2001. I run a 300 gr Berger at 2850, a 285 Hornady at 2950 and a 225 Accubond at 3250. I will start doing some load development for the 338 win mag this spring to see what it likes in probably a 210 swift scirraco and a 225..
I've owned a Niko "Golden Eagle" 1978ish, a Browning A bolt and a feather light Winchester 338 Winchester Mag... The Niko which was a collaboration of 3 of the top gun manufacturers at the time .. Exquisite rifle that would rival the Whetherby at the time..very smooth..nonetheless they performed flawlessly.. it has yer back when you live in Alaska.. Brown bear need a romper stomper to stop them and sometimes a second or third, depending on how much adrenaline they dumped.. seriously 338 is a flat shooting powerhouse of a round that hits like a freight train...get a 338 Win mag!
Much like Ryan, I am a huge cartridge nerd, know all the history, specs, etc. Also like Ryan, I have never owned a 338 Win Mag but also think it is a FANTASTIC cartridge! If you need to knock really big stuff on it's butt and don't want the excess cost, recoil and performance of the 338 Lapua, the 338 Win is all you need for anything in North America out to 600yds.
I have a 338-06 Ackley Improved. It runs very close to the win mag except with 250 gr bullets with about 20 percent powder and recoil. I have taken all North American big game except the four sheep with it, including brown bear. 338 rocks for the big critters. It shines on elk.
Absolutely my favorite cartridge. I bought my rem 700 bdl in 338wm when I was 12 (I was a odd duck) been hunting with it for over 30years now. If my hunting buddy's see me grab that rifle to go hunt/take care if something they know I'm not screwing around. It's a great universal cartridge without a doubt. To me I always considered it the 30'06 of the medium bores.
What I like about it is, with some exceptions, it's kinda of the last cartridge as you move up in caliber that maintains high power rifle velocities (~2700 fps). When you get to the 350s and 375s, velocities tend to start dropping off.
The 338 Winchester magnum is a great big game cartridge. It’s accurate,powerful and feeds very reliable and easy.it has one drawback: recoil.properly handloaded , it gives up very little to the 340 weatherby.
Best elk cartridge ever made. If I told you why you would hunt elk differently and subsequently be more successful, I'm not ready to give those secrets away yet.
I have a Winchester model 70 Sporter in 338 win mag and I LOVE it. I feel it is way to much for Antelope & Deer. I've shot a lot of animals with mine. Recoil is not that bad. Just let the rifle do what it wants to do. Don't fight it. Elk & Moose is where it really shines! 200 & 225 gr bullets.
Still hoping to one day get an episode on the 35 Remington. It's just unpopular and understated enough that I think it would be an interesting conversation
I was picking through my grandfather's old farm truck that had been parked for over a decade and he had a box of .35 Remington cartridges and I've still never found the rifle they belong to.
I have a browning stainless stalker in .338 Win Mag. I love it. It has a soft limb saver recoil pad and a Boss muzzle brake system. It kicks like my 30-06, not bad at all, get a brake and your fine! 210 gr Nosler partitions work great for big bulls!
Had a 338 sendero since the early 90's it loved the supreme 200 gr bt have shot a 5/16 in group with but in the late 90's federal come out with an high energy 338 4300 ft lbs at the muzzle i have a few boxes left . I enjoy your vids.
Back in 2019 when I was looking for a larger caliber rifle to compliment my .270 Win, to potentially take out west. The .338 Win Mag was on the short list with a few others like the 300 Wby Mag, 300 RUM, 300 WSM, 30-06, 308, etc… I didn’t want to go 300 Win Mag since my Dad and brother have one. I came to the same conclusion Ryan did since I doubt that I would be hunting Alaska soon, and went with a 300 WSM
Great choice. If you look at the tables, you get almost as much performance and much less recoil with the 300 WSM. Btw, I’m a fan and shoot the 338 Win Mag.
I forgot to mention that none of my 338WM’s have a brake. My 338-416 Rigby Improved does, but this is simply to stop muzzle jump so hits to a mile can be spotted. I don’t usually use muzzle brakes…even on my 505 Gibbs.
The awesome 338 Win Mag I own a Ruger77 I used to hate. I replaced the trigger and the flimsy Tupperware stock and I immediately fall in love with it. Great Caliber especially if you reload. My 338 is very accurate with so many bullets from 180 to 250. I like to feed it with Hodgdon 4831SC, CCI primers, nosler bullets, and norma brass.
My 338. Wm is awesome. I love it. It bucks the wind, hammers game, shoots flat enough, and with my win mod 70 boss with it's break is very nice to shoot. Killed my first coues deer with it and it was perfect. It smashes mule deer and is fantastic on Elk and bears.
I used my 338 Win Mag for my Wisconsin Deer hunt this year, 180gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. Got both a buck and doe, single shot on both. Quick clean kill on both. The impact force of the bullet shuts the deer down quickly. I used it as a test, never shooting anything with it before always using my 30-06 for all past hunts. It is definitely an overkill but it did such a great job I will be using it again. It is a remarkable cartridge.
18:15 and then they went the other way with the .240 weatherby being smaller denotion but faster than the .243 winchester. Or even kept it the same like the 257 weatherby
I don’t use the 338 WM much anymore, but for about 15 years I used it on Grizzlies, Moose, Elk, Mule Deer and Whitetails. 210 Nosler Partition was my bullet of choice for all of them. Including an 8’ B&C Grizzly. Never failed me. The 225 Nosler was just as accurate and might have been a better choice for the Grizzly but the 210 dropped him with one shot. It’s an incredible cartridge. Very close to the 30-06 in trajectory. The 250 grain bullets started to exceed my recoil limitations. I just hunt Blacktails now days and the 30-06, (the best hunting cartridge ever made) fills all my needs. But the 338 WM is a classic. I’d hunt anything on this earth with one.
Hey Joel I was curious on how were the results on deer, I hunt whitetail and I shot a good buck with 6.5 creed this year about 230 yard shot, hit him a little far forward but hit in the lung and bullet lodged offside armpit. The deer ran prolly about 40-50 yards I had to blood trail him. I’m wanting to jump to a bigger round, I have other rifles but I’m thinking of getting a 338 win mag. I want some advice on what I should expect. Is it common at extended ranges like 200 or more for them to run?
@@ThemantleofElijahI have shot many whitetail with mine. None over 100 yards. All had approximately 2" exits and dropped on the spot. Using 225 and 250 gr Remington Core Lokt and Nosler Partitions.
This video deserved a like before I even watched it. I truly enjoy the cartridge myself here in Alaska thank you guys from vortex optics for talking about this one I appreciate it
I live and hunt in northern British Columbia. The 338 Winchester loaded with a 225 Hornady SST and reloader 19 works great on everything. Used Nosler for years but at 119.99 for 50 Acubonds I switched to Hornady and never looked back
I been shooting Hornady 200gr and 250gr SP for SK game with IMR4350. Thanks for the tip on the 225gr and RL 19. I am hoping for a south SK elk draw where it's more open ranch land and longer shots. Will work up a load for that combo.
@@kdean8129 Due to availability I switched bullets to the 225 RP Hornady Interlock. Using the same Reloader 19 data and load it shoots a touch better. Worked really well on a meat moose last fall. Best of luck on your elk draw and hope you get drawn and down a nice bull
My 338 wm was a pussycat. 700 KS Mountain rifle with a factory brake, 225 Partitions, fairly hot hand loads. It kicked about the same as my 700 Mountain 280, without a brake. Real manageable for a lite rifle.
I have a T/C Icon in 338 Win Mag and it’s one of my favorites. Took it out west to elk hunt and to South Africa for Plains Game. The wood stock on my rifle adds enough weight to soften recoil. Hunting I don’t even notice it.
Without having intentionally eschewed the .338s, my mid-thirties collection started with a Browning-branded Model 71 in .348 Win, and eventually came to include a pair of .35 Whelens: a Remington 700 and a Remington 7600. Both of those chamberings tend more to the heavy shove sort of biggish recoil rather than the .338 Win’s reputed sudden shock hammer-blow variety. The Browning factory version of Winchester’s perfected stock design was the Model 71’s 'take me home' argument: That rifle is the epitome of ‘wieldy.’
I've taken everything from whitetails to moose and have never had my .338 win mag disappoint me (1980 to the present) and I currently have several of them. The Ruger #1 is my favorite (had a Lazzeroni 8.59 Galaxy stolen so it's floating around out there somewhere). I've shot every bullet from a 180 grain to Barnes 300 grain. I'm nearly 80 years old and not about to give up because of recoil. One of the finest cartridges out there.
I have a custom Teflon coated M70 .338 Win Mag with a Douglas XX sporrer barrel sitting in a Hogue overmolded stick that I absolutely LOVE. I handload 210 grain Nosler Partitions with IMR 4831. I have shot many southern states Whitetails with it. It is a beast
I have a Ruger m77 in 338 and it’s one of my favorite rifles. It has a huge muzzle brake and a soft recoil pad. It genuinely shoots softer than my 30.06.
340 Weatherby mag indeed packs a helluva wallop. I've had experience with both standard and muzzle brake equipped rifles. Doubt I would ever shoot one without a brake ever again. But the deer that I've witnessed being shot by one simply fall on the spot. Versatility is great with them. I personally prefer one of the hot rodded 30s myself as an all around rifle, but wouldn't turn down a 338/340 mag if it were available.
I love my Savage 116FS in .338 WM. It is a light gun so the recoil is punishing but I can handle it. My 16 yr old daughter shoots it regularly. I bought it for Alaska because of it's versatility, I live in MO and have used it on whitetails every year. I recently realized that ammo has become expensive and scarce, it used to be easy to find and relatively cheap. I don't hand load, but may have to start.
I bought my 338 win mag model 70 back in 1991, for hunting in Northern BC. Still own the rifle, feels good in the hand when hunting in grizzly territory.
There is nothing better than a cartridge comparison discussion. I don’t care if someone already has one or not because it’s always fun to think about what else Someone should get
I load 65 grains of reloader 15 under a 185 grain Barnes in my 338 ,,and the kick is very mild ,, and I have a light custom made 338 with a 21 inch bull barrel ,,,great in blinds.
My uncle has an A Bolt he bought for a trip to alberta years ago, he loves it so much he hunts bear and whitetail with it here in PA. Shot it a few times and it is nothing short of an artillery round
I started hunting big game with a Remington 700 BDL Custom DeLuxe cal. .338win. mag. and I'm still with him. I use 250 grain tips. It is a great all rounder. Congratulations on the video.
I have a Browning A-Bolt II Medallion with the BOSS system in .338 Win. Mag. and I love it. I have taken Moose, Elk and many other large game with it. It is quite the cartridge. I reload so that does make for better loads but even factory performs quite well. Several years ago I was able to find and buy the exact same rifle "new in bow, unbelievable" since they were discontinued 15 years ago" for my son and he is as happy with his as I am with mine. This summer we plan on an African hunt and the .338's will be our primary rifles for big game and our .260 Rem's for everything else. I truly enjoy your channel. I would love to see an episode on the .260 Rem. some day. Actually to see an honest comparison to the 6.5 Creed would be nice. As a reloader I find the .260 Rem. is a better cartridge than the 6.5 Creed. I can get better velocity and flatter path due to the faster speeds. What is your opinion??
My dad bought a Model 70 Alaskan .338 Win Mag in 1958 and that was his main rifle for Roosevelt Elk and Mule Deer right up until his death in 2016. He shot nothing but 225 grain Nosler Partitions and used Norma 205 and then Norma MRP after the 205 was discontinued.
Nice video & caliber. The 338 Win Mag is a great hunting round and is pretty accurate out to 550-600 yards. Haven't shot it any further than that. Recoil doesn't seem that bad but I do respect it. A muzzle brake will help as will a synthetic stock. You can also try some of the lighter weight bullets although Nosler 225 & 250 AccuBonds and Hornady 230 ELD-X seem to be the most accurate/consistent in my rifles. Some of the 180-210gr all copper bullets hold potential & their recoil would be even less. Vortex, thanks again for this video!
My 210 ttsx shoot .6 groups and goes 2935 with Reloader 16. I to was shooting 6 inch steel plates in natural shooting positions in the dirt out to 500-600 it did very well and you know when you smash that plate. It will be my Elk round when I draw 14 points for Nevada resident Bull tag getting right there for draw.
@kentonsassmann1859 H4350, IMR 4350, N555, and the like work well with 338 win mag, too. There are a few lead core loads with 225 and 250 grain bullets i have. I know they are having trouble with war supplying Alliant, and it's affecting manufacturing too (no Reloader 26). I do see Reloader 16 a few places as of last week.
To me the 338 Win Mag is really for the great bears. In my opinion, other than those critters, a 300 Weatherby, with the 300 Win Mag a close second, is a better all around choice. Great video!
For the recoil and muzzle blast you get from a 300 Weatherby, you might as well step up to a 338 WinMag. I’m a huge fan, and shoot a 338 Win Mag, in a Model 70 Alaskan. But, I get almost the same performance from my 300 H&H, which happens to shoot a 250 grain projectile faster than a 300 Win Mag (my least favorite 30 cal.)
@@falba1492 The 300 H&H is a great cartridge but is essentially obsolete since it’s very hard to find rifles, ammo and brass even in “normal” times. Plus, when you do finds these items, you pay a high premium. Why shoot a 225 plus grain bullet when a 180 grain gets the job done and shoots much flatter? Again, all of this is within the context of hunting non dangerous game.
@@nmelkhunter1 - Up until last year, I was always able to get 300 H&H brass from Hornady, Nosler or Norma. I reload, so ammo has never been an issue. Presently, I can not even get 338 Win Mag brass. Rifles are not that hard to find, but they are usually premium rifles. I just picked up a new X-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 300 H&H, but it had been discontinued in 2018 I think. It’s also very easy to re-barrel a new Winchester M70 375 H&H. I can load a 300 H&H or a 300 WSM, to the same velocities as a 300 Win Mag with about 3 to 4 grains less powder. That’s a big difference. I also prefer how much more efficient the 308 Norma is (same case as the 338 Win Mag). I totally realize the 300 Win is the most common of the magnum 30 cals., but it’s the lease efficient.
@@falba1492 Efficiency is a non starter. Who cares about 3-5 grains of powder? That’s about 5% on an average load. I’d rather have rifle for which it’s easy to find components and for which you don’t have to pay a premium. That’s common sense.
@@nmelkhunter1 - Why use something heavier than 180 grains on non-dangerous game? I have a friend in Idaho, who has taken more than 20 elk. He has used everything from a 270 Win, to a 338 WinMag. By the way he’s a huge fan of the 300 Weatherby. According to him, the 338 WinMag using a good hunting bullet, north of 200 grains is the quintessential elk cartridge. He does hesitate recommending the 338, because not everyone can shoot it properly. Nothing substitutes good shot placement, but on elk, more is better, or so I’ve been told.
I own 2 338WM a Ruger 77 and Browning BAR, the auto takes a bit of sharpest of the kick out. Both will drop the game where it stands with a correctly placed shot. It is the largest caliber I own, but for elk or bear it is the right choice every time.
I've used this round on big Canadian whitetail, mule deer and a couple bison over the years with shots ranging from close out to 400 yards. I found it to be exceptional on accuracy and in a hunting situation the recoil never bothered me a bit. First time watching your show great job guys
300 win mag is one of my top 3 favorite cartridges. I no longer own one but hopefully will change that soon. I used to catch flack from all of my deer hunting buddies in my 200 acre club in Alabama. My lease, I'm president, so not too much lol. Seriously, it really changed when everytime I shot a deer, 3 bucks and unlimited does at the time, they dropped where I shot them and it didn't blow them to pieces like people believe. I mean knees buckle and straight down, no tracking at all.
I have a custom built 338-06. My hand loaded ammo matches factory 338 win mag ballistics. I live in Canada’s Yukon. I’ve used it on grizzly, black bears 🐻 and moose. It works great for where I live.
My 338wnmg shoots 3" groups at 700 on the bench and hits very very hard at that distance with a 225 grn nosler BT. Can't remember if it 220 or 225 but that's the bullet I use wit it.
I would love to see a talk on the 9.3x64 Brenneke. A bit obscure but amazing performance and efficiency. It will substitute the 375 in a standard action.
I shoot a Ruger M77 in 338 Win Mag and shooting 210 grain Nosler Partition rounds can get clover leaf groups at 100yrds. While it does shove me a bit like a 12 gauge it is not nearly as abrupt on recoil as my son's 7mm Rem Mag. If we step up to the 250 grain Winchester Fail Safe rounds it will really push back hard, which is why it now sports a custom muzzle device after 25 years. Truly a one gun do it all for North America as well as most of the world's big game animals.
If recoil is the only thing holding you back, try the Benelli R-1 in .338 Win Mag. A $ 1,000 rifle. Latest 21st century semi-auto technology. And the claims are true: it reduces felt recoil to a 30-06 level. And a "shove" 30-06, rather than a "punch."
@@lawrenceallen8096 high weight. No recall just a design issue I think. Ive never shot one but have heard they are hard to shoot well because of the trigger.
@@danhoff4401 They must have fixed it by Oct. 2019, when I bought it (it has to be ordered and shipped from Italy). It has a good trigger--not too high-weight.
Try a Browning BAR in 338 WM with the BOSS brake. Mine's from the 20th century but still works well although it weighs about a pound more than a 338 bolt rifle.
I have one and load it with 230gr eldx bullets. Accuracy is excellent and it hits hard as hell. But I did put a JG recoil eliminator on it because it kicks like a mule... Harder than my 300 wm... and noticeably so! My first gun in 338WM was a Savage Hog Hunter. I believe it was the only offering in that rifle that came in LA which was strange to me. Very short compact package with iron sights and a threaded barrel. Very cool rifle. I still have, it but mainly shoot my chassis'd Rem 700 in 338WM these days.
In my opinion it's a great big and dangerous game cartridge in general. It's fine for anything from whitetail to moose, bear and I have no doubts it's killed a lot of dangerous game in Africa. Even more interesting to me was that when looking at a .300wm and .338wm next to eachother, it's easy to think .300 is the much faster, harder hitting bullet, but when you crunch numbers... the .338 Win Mag actually slings a heavier bullet at the exact same velocity as a lighter .300wm. The advantage the .300wm does have is ever so slightly less drop beyond 500 yards. I believe .338 drops about 4 inches more than .300 at 500 yards. It's ballistically a perfect round for very, very small groups at long range. It's well loved, but not many own guns chambered in .338wm, and I think it comes down to recoil. Yes, it puts a real thump on your shoulder, but many .338wm rifles come with threaded barrels, and a muzzle brake can bring that monsterous recoil easily down to .243 levels.
I think a 338 magnum isa great cartridge, and it's more versatile than many people think. As for recoil, I think tech is taming recoil. Of course, a break or suppressor helps. Jim Harmer's butt pad is a significant improvement. I don't have personal experience with Weatherby's recoil pad used on the Peak 44 stock, but also supposed to soak up some recoil. The Peak 44 stock design is also supposed to reduce felt recoil. In any case, were I getting a 338 rifle these days, I'd get it from Weatherby in their WBY RPM cartridge rather than the Win Mag.
I had a Thompson center pro hunter in 333win mag. That thing kicked so hard during sighting in, it sheared the screws off that held the mount to the receiver . I had to get special order hardened screws to mount the scope. I sold it after cpl years. Just wasn't any fun to shoot.
👋🏼 I’m glad to see this caliber discussed today, especially bc I just won bidding on a custom Mauser chambered on the 338-06 A-Square. I chose the chambering to fit between my goto 270 Win and my only Magnum, the 375 H&H. This caliber fits perfectly in between the capabilities in the my bookend calibers when you consider bullet grain weight each cartridge,is capable to push efficiently.. Please consider to touch base on this chambering even if it’s not on it own. 🤔 Such as a topic discussing very efficient and effective NON-Magnum rounds. 🙏
I went to Namibia on my fist hunt there and discovered to my horror that a 7mm didn’t cut i AT ALL. So, I thought let’s go the whole hog and got a 338RUM custom rifle made. It’s like the Tiger tank of shoulder fired rifles ( as is the 340 Wby). The 338 WM suffers from a powder burn rate gap which can make it frustrating to load for. With the 338 RUM just load Rl-23 in it and shoot any bullet weight. Superbly accurate too.
I am much older than my picture here and got to hunt Oregon decades ago when when the limits were plentiful. I shot 13 elk and probably more than a hundred mule deer with a 30/06. I used Remington 150 gn psp. Most of the the animals were easy and less than 100 yards. All of them except one were one shot kills. Despite my successes with this caliber for some reason I got magnum fever and bought a Ruger 300 Win Mag. For me the recoil was atrocious and there was a lot of ruined meat on the deer. After one episode I switched back to the 06. I can only imagine what a 338 would do to my shoulder and a deer.
I just picked up a 1965 Winchester model 70 338 win mag a couple of weeks ago. Glad to see this came out to confirm I picked up a great rifle before I move to Alaska! The rifle is mint. What is everyone’s thoughts on removing the original butt pad for a limb saver?
My experience, and I own a 338win...the recoil is not sharp. It is just a nice shove and not unpleasant to shoot at all. 300win is brutal by comparison.
That is my go to gun for big game here in Colorado and AK. In my Ruger mark 2 all weather, I can shoot 0 moa at 200 yards. The gun just fits me and works better than my custom rifles.
Carrying a gun chambered in a cartridge that will handle big bears, even when not hunting bear, is a necessity in AK. I use a .338 Win Mag for everything, with a .460 SW just in case.
I actually really enjoy hearing the extra banter after the ten minute talks are done. Thank you for adding those clips to the videos again!
I agree. Sometimes, just hanging around is just as informative and fun as the focused part of the discusssion.
Third this, just as enjoyable as the main content
I came to the comments to say exactly the same thing.
Absolutely, I can listen to these guys for hours.
Good conversation guys! For the six years I lived in Alaska, I carried a 338 WM on nearly every hunt for everything. The 338 WM is stout enough to handle a bear situation and flat shooting enough to reach across a canyon. My Alaska load was a 225 grain TTSX that worked well on everything from Kodiak Brown Bear to Mountain Goat, Caribou, and Moose. This podcast has me thinking maybe I should bust the old girl out of the safe this weekend.
I killed a nice elk at 400 yards this year with my 338 WM, using that 225 TTSX in WY. Wow, I was impressed. DRT. I recovered the bullet and it was a perfect mushroom with 99.56 % weight retention. I am sold with that bullet in this cartridge.
I absolutely LOVE the 338 win mag. It's my do all cartridge. Elk are down and dead at 500 yards and never had to chase a wounded animal,. Pairing it with a Berger, it's got great long range ballistics and 250+ gr bullets are freight trains. If you want to hunt smaller game, can use a 180 or 165g. It is so versatile. I also think it's felt recoil is less than a 300 win mag (own as well) -- more a push, that a slam.
But, a lot of rifle manufacturers seem to be dropping it from their line up which is sad. And, factory ammo availability isn't great and is expensive. Maybe when we get through COVID that will change.
Guys this is American just because you are not gonna hunt with it doesn’t mean you can’t own a .338 win mag 😂 I don’t need nor hunt with 80% of my guns but I have them because 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Preach it Sister!😊
2nd amendment purposes. Don't let fuds tell you any different
I bought my Ruger MK2 .338 Win Mag (stainless with laminated brown wood stock) because I found a price tag on it for $399…Merica!!
That’s all of us in the former slug states.
Indiana allows high powered rifles on private land but most of the state, you don’t need much more than .30-30, .35 Remington, .45-70, .444, .300Blk or 7.62x39.
Parts of the state you can use a high powered rifle, shots are too close. Parts of the state where you can, it’s too flat
Pretty stupid... i dont have a single gun without a kill to its name
Love the 338 Win and 225gr Nosler Part in my Alaska hunting …. Moose at 475 yards piece of cake ! A true Alaskan cartridge. Reloader 19 in WW cases !
As a fan of the 7mm Rem Mag, I always respected the .338 Win as the parent case to my favorite big game cartridge, and also as the minimum step up from the 7mm Rem Mag that makes sense for me. I always figured the .300 Magnums were over rated, and if I was to go any bigger than 7mm, the .338 was the next logical choice. The .300s mostly just add recoil. At least with the .338, you're getting an appreciable step up in mass and frontal area to make the added recoil worth it.
Same mindset here. I’ve hunted Alaska with the 7mm Rem for three years now and now that Weatherby came out with their .338 RPM I jumped to that because I like the idea of it.
In Eastern Canada no grizzly bears to worry about. My fav is the 7 REM MAG deer are always dead with a 162 gr projectile and I love it Ryan hates that cartridge. I also shoot various factory loads in 30-06, 300 WIN MAG. The muzzleloader also makes them just as dead. Enjoy the podcasts , great job guys.
I’ve always thought this, now I’m buying a .338
I have long drive to work and I play these videos and listen on my drive in, I really enjoy these cartridge talks and I learn so much. I appreciate these so much.
My dad bought his 338 win mag M70 WIN in 1958 after losing his biggest mule deer on an Idaho hunt that same year that he shot with a 3006. I now have his 338 win in my safe and it is a favorite. I now shoot it's big brother the 338 RUM and have since 2001. I run a 300 gr Berger at 2850, a 285 Hornady at 2950 and a 225 Accubond at 3250. I will start doing some load development for the 338 win mag this spring to see what it likes in probably a 210 swift scirraco and a 225..
I've owned a Niko "Golden Eagle" 1978ish, a Browning A bolt and a feather light Winchester 338 Winchester Mag... The Niko which was a collaboration of 3 of the top gun manufacturers at the time .. Exquisite rifle that would rival the Whetherby at the time..very smooth..nonetheless they performed flawlessly.. it has yer back when you live in Alaska.. Brown bear need a romper stomper to stop them and sometimes a second or third, depending on how much adrenaline they dumped.. seriously 338 is a flat shooting powerhouse of a round that hits like a freight train...get a 338 Win mag!
I'm loving these 10 minute talks.
My request would be a talk on the 250-3000 and the 300 savage.
We'll add those to the list - we appreciate it :)
@@VortexNation
8.6 BLK, 12 inch barrel, 1in3 twist, 210 barnes add 338 suppressor
Much like Ryan, I am a huge cartridge nerd, know all the history, specs, etc. Also like Ryan, I have never owned a 338 Win Mag but also think it is a FANTASTIC cartridge! If you need to knock really big stuff on it's butt and don't want the excess cost, recoil and performance of the 338 Lapua, the 338 Win is all you need for anything in North America out to 600yds.
My hunting buddy had one. It's overkill if you live outside Big Bear country or Africa
I have a 338-06 Ackley Improved. It runs very close to the win mag except with 250 gr bullets with about 20 percent powder and recoil. I have taken all North American big game except the four sheep with it, including brown bear. 338 rocks for the big critters. It shines on elk.
35 Whelen gets close as well for hunting out to 400yd. 225gr accubond at 2800 is no joke.
Absolutely agree Tim. I will be getting one before I get buried!!
Whenever I hear Jimmy say: "... ten-ish minutes with the..." and I notice the video is 22 minutes long.
This is gonna be good.
I enjoy the post discussion as much or more than the podcast itself.
Absolutely my favorite cartridge. I bought my rem 700 bdl in 338wm when I was 12 (I was a odd duck) been hunting with it for over 30years now. If my hunting buddy's see me grab that rifle to go hunt/take care if something they know I'm not screwing around. It's a great universal cartridge without a doubt. To me I always considered it the 30'06 of the medium bores.
What I like about it is, with some exceptions, it's kinda of the last cartridge as you move up in caliber that maintains high power rifle velocities (~2700 fps). When you get to the 350s and 375s, velocities tend to start dropping off.
Roy Weatherby's ghost is laughing at you.
@@Fulcrum205 Lol, true. Guess I should have said affordable cartridge.
Was just thinking about this one last night watching Ron Spomer's. 338 Win Mag video! Y'all are on top of it. Good job.
I have been shooting a 338 win mag for over 30 years , great Sambar caliber , use 185 ttsx at 3150 fps.Have shot them out to 400 yds.
The 338 Winchester magnum is a great big game cartridge. It’s accurate,powerful and feeds very reliable and easy.it has one drawback: recoil.properly handloaded , it gives up very little to the 340 weatherby.
Best elk cartridge ever made.
If I told you why you would hunt elk differently and subsequently be more successful, I'm not ready to give those secrets away yet.
I have a Winchester model 70 Sporter in 338 win mag and I LOVE it. I feel it is way to much for Antelope & Deer. I've shot a lot of animals with mine. Recoil is not that bad. Just let the rifle do what it wants to do. Don't fight it. Elk & Moose is where it really shines! 200 & 225 gr bullets.
That is the secret to the .338 just hold on and roll with the recoil.
@@georgepatton9744 you got it George. I like my .338 much more than either of 1 of my 2 .300 Winchesters
Still hoping to one day get an episode on the 35 Remington. It's just unpopular and understated enough that I think it would be an interesting conversation
☝🏼this
All the 35s are awesome!
Love 35 rem i got a marlin lever action one of my favorite rifles
It's a great cartridge. It beats .30-30 in every category by a significant margin.
I was picking through my grandfather's old farm truck that had been parked for over a decade and he had a box of .35 Remington cartridges and I've still never found the rifle they belong to.
I have a browning stainless stalker in .338 Win Mag. I love it. It has a soft limb saver recoil pad and a Boss muzzle brake system. It kicks like my 30-06, not bad at all, get a brake and your fine!
210 gr Nosler partitions work great for big bulls!
Had a 338 sendero since the early 90's it loved the supreme 200 gr bt have shot a 5/16 in group with but in the late 90's federal come out with an high energy 338 4300 ft lbs at the muzzle i have a few boxes left . I enjoy your vids.
I have a Tikka t3 hunter in .338 win mag, it is a laser and a dream to shoot and hunt with. Would love to see a 7mm Weatherby episode one day.
I would love to see y’all go over the 303 British always found it a neat cartridge with some cool history
Back in 2019 when I was looking for a larger caliber rifle to compliment my .270 Win, to potentially take out west. The .338 Win Mag was on the short list with a few others like the 300 Wby Mag, 300 RUM, 300 WSM, 30-06, 308, etc… I didn’t want to go 300 Win Mag since my Dad and brother have one.
I came to the same conclusion Ryan did since I doubt that I would be hunting Alaska soon, and went with a 300 WSM
Great choice. If you look at the tables, you get almost as much performance and much less recoil with the 300 WSM. Btw, I’m a fan and shoot the 338 Win Mag.
I own 3 338WM’s, a 338-06 custom and a 337-416 Rigby Improved! Love my 33 cals. Also love my 375 Weatherby.
Great cartridge the 338WM, very versatile.
I forgot to mention that none of my 338WM’s have a brake. My 338-416 Rigby Improved does, but this is simply to stop muzzle jump so hits to a mile can be spotted. I don’t usually use muzzle brakes…even on my 505 Gibbs.
The awesome 338 Win Mag I own a Ruger77 I used to hate. I replaced the trigger and the flimsy Tupperware stock and I immediately fall in love with it. Great Caliber especially if you reload. My 338 is very accurate with so many bullets from 180 to 250. I like to feed it with Hodgdon 4831SC, CCI primers, nosler bullets, and norma brass.
My 338. Wm is awesome. I love it. It bucks the wind, hammers game, shoots flat enough, and with my win mod 70 boss with it's break is very nice to shoot. Killed my first coues deer with it and it was perfect. It smashes mule deer and is fantastic on Elk and bears.
I’m sure if Ryan purchased a .338 WM it would have a muzzle brake. I know mine would. Thanks. Good video
The first commercial 338 was the 33 WCF. It was designed in 1902 and offered by winchester until 1936
The 33wfc is actually. 33 diameter as compared to .340 diameter for the 338.
I used my 338 Win Mag for my Wisconsin Deer hunt this year, 180gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. Got both a buck and doe, single shot on both. Quick clean kill on both. The impact force of the bullet shuts the deer down quickly. I used it as a test, never shooting anything with it before always using my 30-06 for all past hunts. It is definitely an overkill but it did such a great job I will be using it again. It is a remarkable cartridge.
18:15 and then they went the other way with the .240 weatherby being smaller denotion but faster than the .243 winchester. Or even kept it the same like the 257 weatherby
Have a Pre 64 Alaskan model 70 in 338wm. Absolutely a great cartridge and rifle!
I would think 7.92x57mm (1888) would be the father of most modern cartridges
I don’t use the 338 WM much anymore, but for about 15 years I used it on Grizzlies, Moose, Elk, Mule Deer and Whitetails. 210 Nosler Partition was my bullet of choice for all of them. Including an 8’ B&C Grizzly. Never failed me. The 225 Nosler was just as accurate and might have been a better choice for the Grizzly but the 210 dropped him with one shot. It’s an incredible cartridge. Very close to the 30-06 in trajectory. The 250 grain bullets started to exceed my recoil limitations.
I just hunt Blacktails now days and the 30-06, (the best hunting cartridge ever made) fills all my needs. But the 338 WM is a classic. I’d hunt anything on this earth with one.
Hey Joel I was curious on how were the results on deer, I hunt whitetail and I shot a good buck with 6.5 creed this year about 230 yard shot, hit him a little far forward but hit in the lung and bullet lodged offside armpit. The deer ran prolly about 40-50 yards I had to blood trail him. I’m wanting to jump to a bigger round, I have other rifles but I’m thinking of getting a 338 win mag. I want some advice on what I should expect. Is it common at extended ranges like 200 or more for them to run?
@@ThemantleofElijahI have shot many whitetail with mine. None over 100 yards. All had approximately 2" exits and dropped on the spot. Using 225 and 250 gr Remington Core Lokt and Nosler Partitions.
@@Notagunfighter I want to use bigger guns myself, using a bigger rifle that has more knockdown power is what I’m going to do
This video deserved a like before I even watched it. I truly enjoy the cartridge myself here in Alaska thank you guys from vortex optics for talking about this one I appreciate it
I live and hunt in northern British Columbia. The 338 Winchester loaded with a 225 Hornady SST and reloader 19 works great on everything. Used Nosler for years but at 119.99 for 50 Acubonds I switched to Hornady and never looked back
I been shooting Hornady 200gr and 250gr SP for SK game with IMR4350. Thanks for the tip on the 225gr and RL 19. I am hoping for a south SK elk draw where it's more open ranch land and longer shots. Will work up a load for that combo.
@@kdean8129
Due to availability I switched bullets to the 225 RP Hornady Interlock. Using the same Reloader 19 data and load it shoots a touch better. Worked really well on a meat moose last fall.
Best of luck on your elk draw and hope you get drawn and down a nice bull
My 338 wm was a pussycat.
700 KS Mountain rifle with a factory brake, 225 Partitions, fairly hot hand loads.
It kicked about the same as my 700 Mountain 280, without a brake.
Real manageable for a lite rifle.
I run a pre-64 model 70 in 338 win mag, 1 round smack down on everything
Agreed.
I have a T/C Icon in 338 Win Mag and it’s one of my favorites. Took it out west to elk hunt and to South Africa for Plains Game. The wood stock on my rifle adds enough weight to soften recoil. Hunting I don’t even notice it.
Without having intentionally eschewed the .338s, my mid-thirties collection started with a Browning-branded Model 71 in .348 Win, and eventually came to include a pair of .35 Whelens: a Remington 700 and a Remington 7600. Both of those chamberings tend more to the heavy shove sort of biggish recoil rather than the .338 Win’s reputed sudden shock hammer-blow variety. The Browning factory version of Winchester’s perfected stock design was the Model 71’s 'take me home' argument: That rifle is the epitome of ‘wieldy.’
338 win mag is unreal ! One of my Favorites !
I don’t find recoil too bad, with a newer recoil pad. Black Bears melt 🔥
I've taken everything from whitetails to moose and have never had my .338 win mag disappoint me (1980 to the present) and I currently have several of them. The Ruger #1 is my favorite (had a Lazzeroni 8.59 Galaxy stolen so it's floating around out there somewhere). I've shot every bullet from a 180 grain to Barnes 300 grain. I'm nearly 80 years old and not about to give up because of recoil. One of the finest cartridges out there.
.338 win mag is my favorite all around big game caliber. Whitetails to Moose to kodiak brown bear.
Love my .338 in a SAKO, easier on the shoulder than you may think (easier being a relative term), not one to shoot all day but it won't cripple you.
I have a custom Teflon coated M70 .338 Win Mag with a Douglas XX sporrer barrel sitting in a Hogue overmolded stick that I absolutely LOVE. I handload 210 grain Nosler Partitions with IMR 4831. I have shot many southern states Whitetails with it.
It is a beast
I have a Ruger m77 in 338 and it’s one of my favorite rifles. It has a huge muzzle brake and a soft recoil pad. It genuinely shoots softer than my 30.06.
No 8mm Mauser?
Love this cartridge, now do 416 rem mag
No do 404 Jeffery
I bought a Winchester Model 70 in .338 Win mag for moose. It does recoil, but you don't plink with it all afternoon either.
340 Weatherby mag indeed packs a helluva wallop. I've had experience with both standard and muzzle brake equipped rifles. Doubt I would ever shoot one without a brake ever again. But the deer that I've witnessed being shot by one simply fall on the spot. Versatility is great with them. I personally prefer one of the hot rodded 30s myself as an all around rifle, but wouldn't turn down a 338/340 mag if it were available.
I feel a 10 minute talk about a .41 rem mag coming soon.
41 Remington magnum is due a comeback. Handgun hunting is where it’s at.
@@justinlowe8038 I feel if reloading was more common the .41 would be as well. I prefer it to .44 magnum.
@@kennywolfjr.6413 as long as it doesn't go away I'll be happy.
I love my Savage 116FS in .338 WM. It is a light gun so the recoil is punishing but I can handle it. My 16 yr old daughter shoots it regularly. I bought it for Alaska because of it's versatility, I live in MO and have used it on whitetails every year. I recently realized that ammo has become expensive and scarce, it used to be easy to find and relatively cheap. I don't hand load, but may have to start.
I bought my 338 win mag model 70 back in 1991, for hunting in Northern BC. Still own the rifle, feels good in the hand when hunting in grizzly territory.
I agree I hunt in northern bc as well with a 338 win mag
There is nothing better than a cartridge comparison discussion. I don’t care if someone already has one or not because it’s always fun to think about what else Someone should get
I load 65 grains of reloader 15 under a 185 grain Barnes in my 338 ,,and the kick is very mild ,, and I have a light custom made 338 with a 21 inch bull barrel ,,,great in blinds.
Just make sure the barrel is out of the blind. Mine is ported and a little too close to the blind and my ears rang fur days.
@@georgepatton9744 if too close it blows big holes in the material ,, I been deaf since an accident in 1974
My uncle has an A Bolt he bought for a trip to alberta years ago, he loves it so much he hunts bear and whitetail with it here in PA. Shot it a few times and it is nothing short of an artillery round
I started hunting big game with a Remington 700 BDL Custom DeLuxe cal. .338win. mag. and I'm still with him. I use 250 grain tips. It is a great all rounder. Congratulations on the video.
Would love a 10 minute talk on left handed rifles, the history, the stats, how many guns are actually made, etc
As a lefty shooter, this would be uber appreciated
As a non-lefty shooter, I’d also love to hear about this!
I don't believe that only 10% of the population is left handed, it seems to be in the range of 15-20%.
@@msa4548 I’m not even left handed, fully. I’m just blind in my right eye
@@noahhorinek you shoot based on your vision. But I've seen too many people writing left handed to think it's only 1 in 10.
I have a Browning A-Bolt II Medallion with the BOSS system in .338 Win. Mag. and I love it. I have taken Moose, Elk and many other large game with it. It is quite the cartridge. I reload so that does make for better loads but even factory performs quite well. Several years ago I was able to find and buy the exact same rifle "new in bow, unbelievable" since they were discontinued 15 years ago" for my son and he is as happy with his as I am with mine. This summer we plan on an African hunt and the .338's will be our primary rifles for big game and our .260 Rem's for everything else. I truly enjoy your channel. I would love to see an episode on the .260 Rem. some day. Actually to see an honest comparison to the 6.5 Creed would be nice. As a reloader I find the .260 Rem. is a better cartridge than the 6.5 Creed. I can get better velocity and flatter path due to the faster speeds. What is your opinion??
I have the exact same rifle in left handed I wouldn't trade it for the world.
My dad bought a Model 70 Alaskan .338 Win Mag in 1958 and that was his main rifle for Roosevelt Elk and Mule Deer right up until his death in 2016. He shot nothing but 225 grain Nosler Partitions and used Norma 205 and then Norma MRP after the 205 was discontinued.
Nice video & caliber. The 338 Win Mag is a great hunting round and is pretty accurate out to 550-600 yards. Haven't shot it any further than that. Recoil doesn't seem that bad but I do respect it. A muzzle brake will help as will a synthetic stock. You can also try some of the lighter weight bullets although Nosler 225 & 250 AccuBonds and Hornady 230 ELD-X seem to be the most accurate/consistent in my rifles. Some of the 180-210gr all copper bullets hold potential & their recoil would be even less. Vortex, thanks again for this video!
My 210 ttsx shoot .6 groups and goes 2935 with Reloader 16. I to was shooting 6 inch steel plates in natural shooting positions in the dirt out to 500-600 it did very well and you know when you smash that plate. It will be my Elk round when I draw 14 points for Nevada resident Bull tag getting right there for draw.
@@rosshill2565 Alliant (makers of Reloader 16) have stopped making powder for civilian shooters.
@kentonsassmann1859 H4350, IMR 4350, N555, and the like work well with 338 win mag, too. There are a few lead core loads with 225 and 250 grain bullets i have. I know they are having trouble with war supplying Alliant, and it's affecting manufacturing too (no Reloader 26). I do see Reloader 16 a few places as of last week.
To me the 338 Win Mag is really for the great bears. In my opinion, other than those critters, a 300 Weatherby, with the 300 Win Mag a close second, is a better all around choice. Great video!
For the recoil and muzzle blast you get from a 300 Weatherby, you might as well step up to a 338 WinMag.
I’m a huge fan, and shoot a 338 Win Mag, in a Model 70 Alaskan. But, I get almost the same performance from my 300 H&H, which happens to shoot a 250 grain projectile faster than a 300 Win Mag (my least favorite 30 cal.)
@@falba1492 The 300 H&H is a great cartridge but is essentially obsolete since it’s very hard to find rifles, ammo and brass even in “normal” times. Plus, when you do finds these items, you pay a high premium. Why shoot a 225 plus grain bullet when a 180 grain gets the job done and shoots much flatter? Again, all of this is within the context of hunting non dangerous game.
@@nmelkhunter1 - Up until last year, I was always able to get 300 H&H brass from Hornady, Nosler or Norma. I reload, so ammo has never been an issue. Presently, I can not even get 338 Win Mag brass.
Rifles are not that hard to find, but they are usually premium rifles. I just picked up a new X-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 300 H&H, but it had been discontinued in 2018 I think. It’s also very easy to re-barrel a new Winchester M70 375 H&H.
I can load a 300 H&H or a 300 WSM, to the same velocities as a 300 Win Mag with about 3 to 4 grains less powder. That’s a big difference. I also prefer how much more efficient the 308 Norma is (same case as the 338 Win Mag).
I totally realize the 300 Win is the most common of the magnum 30 cals., but it’s the lease efficient.
@@falba1492 Efficiency is a non starter. Who cares about 3-5 grains of powder? That’s about 5% on an average load. I’d rather have rifle for which it’s easy to find components and for which you don’t have to pay a premium. That’s common sense.
@@nmelkhunter1 - Why use something heavier than 180 grains on non-dangerous game? I have a friend in Idaho, who has taken more than 20 elk. He has used everything from a 270 Win, to a 338 WinMag. By the way he’s a huge fan of the 300 Weatherby. According to him, the 338 WinMag using a good hunting bullet, north of 200 grains is the quintessential elk cartridge. He does hesitate recommending the 338, because not everyone can shoot it properly. Nothing substitutes good shot placement, but on elk, more is better, or so I’ve been told.
I own 2 338WM a Ruger 77 and Browning BAR, the auto takes a bit of sharpest of the kick out. Both will drop the game where it stands with a correctly placed shot. It is the largest caliber I own, but for elk or bear it is the right choice every time.
I've used this round on big Canadian whitetail, mule deer and a couple bison over the years with shots ranging from close out to 400 yards. I found it to be exceptional on accuracy and in a hunting situation the recoil never bothered me a bit. First time watching your show great job guys
Thanks for tuning in, Freddie :)
What about the 8mm rem mag
300 win mag is one of my top 3 favorite cartridges. I no longer own one but hopefully will change that soon.
I used to catch flack from all of my deer hunting buddies in my 200 acre club in Alabama. My lease, I'm president, so not too much lol. Seriously, it really changed when everytime I shot a deer, 3 bucks and unlimited does at the time, they dropped where I shot them and it didn't blow them to pieces like people believe. I mean knees buckle and straight down, no tracking at all.
I have a custom built 338-06. My hand loaded ammo matches factory 338 win mag ballistics. I live in Canada’s Yukon. I’ve used it on grizzly, black bears 🐻 and moose. It works great for where I live.
How about the 8mm rem mag
Ruger No.1 in 338 Winchester Magnum, Love it. Heavy. But as I only shoot one rifle, it is my do all rifle for hunting. 225 grain.
My 338wnmg shoots 3" groups at 700 on the bench and hits very very hard at that distance with a 225 grn nosler BT. Can't remember if it 220 or 225 but that's the bullet I use wit it.
What's your rifle's weight? Someone told me if you want to shoot long range with large caliber, you can't have a light rifle
@@Justin-zw1hx someone lied to you.
Idk what it is it's a factory Winchester model 70
@@Justin-zw1hx - My M70 Alaskan SS, scoped with a Kahles K624i, comes in at 11 lbs.
I would love to see a talk on the 9.3x64 Brenneke. A bit obscure but amazing performance and efficiency. It will substitute the 375 in a standard action.
Just a little more oomph than the 9.3 x 62, but harder to get a good rifle and ammo for.
Good share. I had not heard of that, so I looked it up. Rim diameter is .496. Not common. I suspect that is headed for obsolescence.
I shoot a Ruger M77 in 338 Win Mag and shooting 210 grain Nosler Partition rounds can get clover leaf groups at 100yrds. While it does shove me a bit like a 12 gauge it is not nearly as abrupt on recoil as my son's 7mm Rem Mag. If we step up to the 250 grain Winchester Fail Safe rounds it will really push back hard, which is why it now sports a custom muzzle device after 25 years. Truly a one gun do it all for North America as well as most of the world's big game animals.
Someone finally nailed the pronunciation of Lapua. Well done.
camouflage vs solid colours ? Big game & Waterfowl ? What do you guys "EDC" on different types of hunts. Not in your pack but on your person.
I love the 338 bore! I don’t have a 338 Winchester but I’ve got a 338/06, 338/06AI and a 338RUM…
If recoil is the only thing holding you back, try the Benelli R-1 in .338 Win Mag. A $ 1,000 rifle. Latest 21st century semi-auto technology. And the claims are true: it reduces felt recoil to a 30-06 level. And a "shove" 30-06, rather than a "punch."
Have they fixed the trigger issues?
@@danhoff4401 I wasn't aware of a trigger issue. It didn't come up in my research. What was the problem?
@@lawrenceallen8096 high weight. No recall just a design issue I think. Ive never shot one but have heard they are hard to shoot well because of the trigger.
@@danhoff4401 They must have fixed it by Oct. 2019, when I bought it (it has to be ordered and shipped from Italy). It has a good trigger--not too high-weight.
Try a Browning BAR in 338 WM with the BOSS brake. Mine's from the 20th century but still works well although it weighs about a pound more than a 338 bolt rifle.
Would like to hear a talk on .405 Win.
I have one and load it with 230gr eldx bullets. Accuracy is excellent and it hits hard as hell. But I did put a JG recoil eliminator on it because it kicks like a mule...
Harder than my 300 wm... and noticeably so!
My first gun in 338WM was a Savage Hog Hunter. I believe it was the only offering in that rifle that came in LA which was strange to me. Very short compact package with iron sights and a threaded barrel. Very cool rifle.
I still have, it but mainly shoot my chassis'd Rem 700 in 338WM these days.
In my opinion it's a great big and dangerous game cartridge in general. It's fine for anything from whitetail to moose, bear and I have no doubts it's killed a lot of dangerous game in Africa.
Even more interesting to me was that when looking at a .300wm and .338wm next to eachother, it's easy to think .300 is the much faster, harder hitting bullet, but when you crunch numbers... the .338 Win Mag actually slings a heavier bullet at the exact same velocity as a lighter .300wm.
The advantage the .300wm does have is ever so slightly less drop beyond 500 yards. I believe .338 drops about 4 inches more than .300 at 500 yards.
It's ballistically a perfect round for very, very small groups at long range. It's well loved, but not many own guns chambered in .338wm, and I think it comes down to recoil. Yes, it puts a real thump on your shoulder, but many .338wm rifles come with threaded barrels, and a muzzle brake can bring that monsterous recoil easily down to .243 levels.
1 I would like to hear u guys to talk about on a 10 min talk. Is the ultimate barrel burner the .223 wssm. Most people have never even heard of it.
I have a 1993 Weatherby mark 5 and it's a 338 win mag. I absolutely love it
My friends dad had a 338 Weatherby win mag in the 90's and it was very accurate.
I think a 338 magnum isa great cartridge, and it's more versatile than many people think. As for recoil, I think tech is taming recoil. Of course, a break or suppressor helps. Jim Harmer's butt pad is a significant improvement. I don't have personal experience with Weatherby's recoil pad used on the Peak 44 stock, but also supposed to soak up some recoil. The Peak 44 stock design is also supposed to reduce felt recoil.
In any case, were I getting a 338 rifle these days, I'd get it from Weatherby in their WBY RPM cartridge rather than the Win Mag.
I had a Thompson center pro hunter in 333win mag. That thing kicked so hard during sighting in, it sheared the screws off that held the mount to the receiver . I had to get special order hardened screws to mount the scope. I sold it after cpl years. Just wasn't any fun to shoot.
Awesome Talk 👏. You guys should do a 500 S&W magnum talk.
We'll add it to the idea list - we appreciate it, my friend!
👋🏼 I’m glad to see this caliber discussed today, especially bc I just won bidding on a custom Mauser chambered on the 338-06 A-Square.
I chose the chambering to fit between my goto 270 Win and my only Magnum, the 375 H&H. This caliber fits perfectly in between the capabilities in the my bookend calibers when you consider bullet grain weight each cartridge,is capable to push efficiently..
Please consider to touch base on this chambering even if it’s not on it own.
🤔 Such as a topic discussing very efficient and effective NON-Magnum rounds. 🙏
"Don't blame me, I voted third party! I voted 7mm Shooting Times Eastern!"
Own a 338 win mag in a Ruger #1 and absolutely love it! I own a 7 STW and would love to hear y’all thoughts!
I went to Namibia on my fist hunt there and discovered to my horror that a 7mm didn’t cut i AT ALL.
So, I thought let’s go the whole hog and got a 338RUM custom rifle made.
It’s like the Tiger tank of shoulder fired rifles ( as is the 340 Wby).
The 338 WM suffers from a powder burn rate gap which can make it frustrating to load for. With the 338 RUM just load Rl-23 in it and shoot any bullet weight. Superbly accurate too.
I am much older than my picture here and got to hunt Oregon decades ago when when the limits were plentiful. I shot 13 elk and probably more than a hundred mule deer with a 30/06. I used Remington 150 gn psp. Most of the the animals were easy and less than 100 yards. All of them except one were one shot kills. Despite my successes with this caliber for some reason I got magnum fever and bought a Ruger 300 Win Mag. For me the recoil was atrocious and there was a lot of ruined meat on the deer. After one episode I switched back to the 06. I can only imagine what a 338 would do to my shoulder and a deer.
338 MAG IS A GREAT RIFLE HERE IN AUSTRALIA 🇦🇺 .
GREAT CHAT GUYS , KIND REGARDS
I just picked up a 1965 Winchester model 70 338 win mag a couple of weeks ago. Glad to see this came out to confirm I picked up a great rifle before I move to Alaska! The rifle is mint. What is everyone’s thoughts on removing the original butt pad for a limb saver?
My experience, and I own a 338win...the recoil is not sharp. It is just a nice shove and not unpleasant to shoot at all. 300win is brutal by comparison.
Thank you for that. I had been mulling in my mind 338 versus 300 WinMag.
That is my go to gun for big game here in Colorado and AK. In my Ruger mark 2 all weather, I can shoot 0 moa at 200 yards. The gun just fits me and works better than my custom rifles.
The milking hands got me so good 🤣🤣🤣
Carrying a gun chambered in a cartridge that will handle big bears, even when not hunting bear, is a necessity in AK. I use a .338 Win Mag for everything, with a .460 SW just in case.
Same here. Exact reason I use mine
I was about to purchase a 338 win mag to with in Alaska but I went with a 35 Whelen instead.
Smart man
Inside of 300 yards, basically no difference. That’s a great choice.
I used a 200 gr accubond at 2885 for everything except big bears. 225 partitions for them.
I love the 338 win mag. Ican load it down for whitetails in southeast, or load it up for elk, moose or bear.